Casu martzu facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Casu martzu (Sardinian)Casgiu merzu (Corsican) Rotten cheese |
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| Country of origin | |
| Region, town | |
| Source of milk | Sheep |
| Pasteurised | No |
| Texture | Soft |
| Aging time | 3 months |
| Certification | None |
| Named after | Lua error in Module:Wikidata at line 70: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). |
Casu martzu (Sardinian pronunciation: [ˈkazu ˈmaɾtsu]; literally 'rotten/putrid cheese'), sometimes spelled casu marzu, and also called casu modde, casu cundídu and casu fràzigu in Sardinian, is a traditional Sardinian sheep milk cheese that contains live insect larvae (maggots).
A variation of this cheese exists also in Corsica (France), where it is called casgiu merzu, and is especially produced in some Southern Corsican villages like Sartene.
Derived from pecorino, casu martzu goes beyond typical fermentation to a stage of decomposition, brought about by the digestive action of the larvae of the cheese fly of the Piophilidae family. These larvae are deliberately introduced to the cheese, promoting an advanced level of fermentation and breaking down of the cheese's fats. The texture of the cheese becomes very soft, with some liquid (called làgrima, Sardinian for "teardrop") seeping out. The larvae themselves appear as translucent white worms, roughly 8 mm (5⁄16 in) long.
Fermentation
Casu martzu is created by leaving whole pecorino cheeses outside with part of the rind removed to allow the eggs of the cheese fly Piophila casei to be laid in the cheese. A female P. casei can lay more than 500 eggs at one time. The eggs hatch and the larvae begin to eat through the cheese. The acid from the maggots' digestive system breaks down the cheese's fats, making the texture of the cheese very soft; by the time it is ready for consumption, a typical casu martzu will contain thousands of these maggots.
Consumption
Casu martzu is considered by Sardinian aficionados to be unsafe to eat when the maggots in the cheese have died. Because of this, only cheese in which the maggots are still alive is usually eaten, although allowances are made for cheese that has been refrigerated, which results in the maggots being killed. When the cheese has fermented enough, it is often cut into thin strips and spread on moistened Sardinian flatbread (pane carasau), to be served with a strong red wine like cannonau. Because the larvae in the cheese can launch themselves for distances up to 15 centimetres (6 in) when disturbed, diners hold their hands above the sandwich to prevent the maggots from leaping. Some who eat the cheese prefer not to ingest the maggots. Those who do not wish to eat them place the cheese in a sealed paper bag. The maggots, starved for oxygen, writhe and jump in the bag, creating a "pitter-patter" sound. When the sounds subside, the maggots are dead and the cheese can be eaten.
Other regional variations
Outside of Sardinia, similar milk cheeses are also produced in the French island of Corsica, as a local variation of the Sardinian cheese produced in some Southern villages and known as casgiu merzu or casgiu sartinesu, as well as in a number of Italian regions.
- Bross ch'a marcia in Piedmont;
- Cacie' Punt (formaggio punto) in Molise;
- Casu puntu in Salento (Apulia);
- Casu du quagghiu in Calabria;
- Gorgonzola coi grilli in Liguria;
- Frmag punt in Apulia;
- Furmai nis (formaggio nisso) in Emilia-Romagna;
- Marcetto or cace fraceche in Abruzzo;
- Salterello in Friuli Venezia Giulia.
Several other regional varieties of cheese with fly larvae are produced in the rest of Europe. For example, goat-milk cheese is left to the open air until P. casei eggs are naturally laid in the cheese. Then it is aged in white wine, with grapes and honey, preventing the larvae from emerging, giving the cheese a strong flavour. In addition, other regions in Europe have traditional cheeses that rely on live arthropods for ageing and flavouring, such as the German Milbenkäse and French Mimolette, both of which rely on cheese mites.
A similar kind of cheese, called Mish, is also produced in Egypt.
An early printed reference to Stilton cheese points to a similar production technique. Daniel Defoe in his 1724 work A tour thro' the whole island of Great Britain notes "We pass'd Stilton, a town famous for cheese, which is call'd our English Parmesan, and is brought to table with the mites or maggots round it, so thick, that they bring a spoon with them for you to eat the mites with, as you do the cheese."
According to Rabbi Dr. Chaim Simons of the Orthodox Union, kosher casu martzu can be produced provided that all ingredients are kosher and animal rennet is not used.
See also
In Spanish: Casu marzu para niños
